Fifteen to One

The best quiz show, as opposed to game show, on television.

No time wasting with contestants hobbies or anecdotes. No specialised subjects on Victorian egg timers or the history of nasal hair to bore the viewers. Just general knowledge questions. Why didn't somebody think of it sooner?

It should really go out later in the evening to suit people who are not keen on soaps.

15 people answer questions on various ridiculously specialist subjects, nominating and knocking out the other contestants until there are three left. These answer 40 questions, and the one with the highest score enters a finals leaderboard. Wide range of contestants made it interesting viewing.

This show appealed to me for its brilliant concept, involving a row of contestants (the majority of them retired, funnily enough) shake their heads and inevitably hear that wrong answer buzzer. The unique way in which they used to humiliate the contestants by naming the first-round losers (adding reinforcement to the "walk of shame" concept to the gameshow world) was entertaining.

Personally, I used to enjoy taking wild guesses at every question that came along. I remember it for having overly difficult questions such as "Who taught mathematics to the Prince of Bolivia in 1365?" or something those lines. In terms of difficulty, it was second only to University Challenge (don't get me started on that!) and those who won were geniuses in their own right. The programme was so boringly nice it was unintentionally funny. I can't see it returning, though, which is a shame.

As a producer William G. Stewart has been around since the Ark (he is now approaching 70) but only took to presenting in 1988 with this little gem of a show - which of course he also produces.

As its name suggests, from the starting line-up of fifteen contestants only one will win, and three distinct rounds with slightly varying rules are used to provide the necessary eliminations. I think I like this show best for what it doesn't have. No fancy show prizes, no sarcastic put downs from the presenter, no staged or scripted applause or contestant hysteria, and definitely no grand sets with flashing lights and obnoxious sound effects.

Each contestant has three 'lives' and they stand in a semicircle, each lit with an individual spotlight which is turned off with finality when they are eliminated. Stewart ranges around in the ground in front of them asking questions, and occasionally adjudicating in case of doubt. Their lives are shown illuminated in front of them and are extinguished one by one if they answer incorrectly. Contestants are shown in single framed shots with a wide angle elevated camera in case Stewart inadvertently walks into shot (he rarely does)

Through two rounds of questions the 15 are whittled away to three who will compete in the final, which occupies the second half of the show. The questions range from the straightforward to the ridiculously hard, apparently at random, but I suspect Stewart has the latitude to select questions to ease up or bear down to both ensure the show runs to length and adequate numbers of contestants survive for subsequent rounds. Initially it's a straightforward question per contestant, but in later rounds some interactivity comes in with contestants who answer correctly able to then nominate others in the hope that they will be eliminated.

In the final Stewart has a set number of questions to hand, the contestants buzz in and after answering correctly can choose to answer another question or nominate one of their fellow finalists in the hope that they'll fail. Tactics come in at this point, with the brightest and bravest taking more questions, and the not so bright but more cunning nominating to try to eliminate the other two. Eventually one will be left and will have limited lives, and limited questions to try to get a high score. At the end of the show, when the last contestant has run out of lives or questions his score is compared to those winners who have competed in previous shows. The top 15 remain for a series finale. Winners whose score is not good enough to make the grade get the chance to come back on another occasion.

The only two prizes on offer are a 'small' antique for the highest score of the series, and another for the eventual winner of the finale. These antiques however are of the highest order being, for example, Roman, or ancient Greek artefacts in pristine condition.

All in all this show has 'legs' and after 15 years shows no signs of wearing thin. The limiting factor might be Stewart himself, who is past retirement age. Let's hope he doesn't give it all up just yet.